Scraping flesh off Humvees for $7/hr

[TomInTib]

Medically retired soldier concludes: "We are pawns" in Iraq

By Cindy Rodríguez
Denver Post Staff Columnist
DenverPost.com

At what price would you take a job that included scraping human flesh off ambushed Humvees?

What if it also meant working 16 to 20 hours nearly every day in 120-degree temperatures?

As an enlisted soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Peskoff of Fountain took on such a job, overseeing 29 soldiers at a military installation in Mosul, Iraq.

Of course, he didn't know what he was getting himself into.

Taking into account the number of hours he worked each week, his $43,000 salary during his year in Iraq came out to less than $7 an hour.

http://www.denverpost.com/style/ci_4037566

[Massacure]

1. That works out to 118 hours per week.

When your in a war zone, your life is run by the military. I highly doubt he had much free time to go and spend that money. That statistic is misleading.

[knitter4democracy]

5. My hubby used to work that many hours a week.

It was common when he was a medical intern. Working that many hours a week is definitely possible.

[Rosemary2205]

2. I've heard this in person.

A local kid came back from the first tour and basically said a good 60% of soldiers there are mainly there to secure the place for US contractors. He said even the few rebuilding projects that are going forward are specifically designed to get access to job sites or low paid Iraqi manual laborers for US contractors -- sometimes locals benefit in the process. He said it's his guess only about 40% of the troops are there to actually secure Iraq so the Iraqi public can live peacefully -- most of that was being done from day one by the Iraqi police depts.

[robinlynne]

4. That is important information.

I have never heard that coming from a soldier. Wish there were a way for your post to be heard loud and clear.

[enough]

3. k&r